Lawmakers: Let undocumented immigrants receive student aid

Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto, right (D-Hudson/Bergen), Assembly Budget Chair Gary Schaer (D-Bergen/Passaic) and Assemblyman Gordon Johnson (D-Bergen) held a press conference on Wednesday to discuss plans to introduce legislation to extend state tuition aid assistance to undocumented students who want to go to college in New Jersey. Trentonian Photo/CARLOS AVILA.

TRENTON — Immigrant advocates are resuming the battle for college tuition benefits for undocumented immigrants.

On Wednesday Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (D-Hudson/Bergen), Assembly Budget Chair Gary Schaer (D-Bergen/Passaic) and Assemblyman Gordon Johnson (D-Bergen) held a press conference at the statehouse to discuss plans to introduce legislation to extend state tuition aid assistance to undocumented students who want to go to college in New Jersey.

Earlier in the week, a provision to extend state financial aid to undocumented students was included in the budget approved by the legislature, but was line item vetoed by Governor Chris Christie.

However, in December, Governor Christie signed a bill into law that allows undocumented students who meet certain requirements to be eligible for in-state tuition rates, but not state financial aid. Christie has consistently vetoed any efforts to make undocumented immigrants eligible for state financial aid such as the NJ TAG grant.

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State grants vary in amount but some can provide up to $2,500 per semester for an eligible student.

“We spend hundreds of thousands of dollars educating (undocumented) kids [from] K-12 as our constitution mandates a thorough and efficient education for free but then we cut that life line when they go to college; so we need to help them with their tuition issue. They are here, they are part of our society, they are working here and they are part of our economy,” said Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto.

At Wednesday’s press conference Prieto insisted that full tuition equality must include tuition assistance not just in-state tuition rates.

Before Christie signed into law the In-State Tuition Act in December, undocumented students had to pay international rates to attend college. Despite growing up in New Jersey from the age of 5 years old and attending New Jersey high schools, undocumented students were considered out-of-state students. The In-State Tuition Act addressed that issue and made all NJ high school graduates eligible to pay in-state rates. However, for many undocumented students current tuition rates are still prohibitively expensive and they want to be eligible for state sponsored scholarships and grants.

The issue to provide relief to undocumented youth has also been addressed federally. Two years ago, before the president’s re-election, President Obama signed an executive order granting a work permit and protection from deportation to eligible undocumented youth who came to the US before the age of 16. As a result of that executive order, undocumented youth are able to legally work and pay out-of-pocket for college. Many undocumented youth can only afford to take one or two classes per semester making graduation day more distant than the traditional four years.

“I am undocumented and it will take me more than seven years to finish my B.A. degree because I do not qualify for any type of financial aid due to my undocumented status,” said Giancarlo Tello, a youth organizer with the NJ Working Families Alliance.

Immigrant advocates insist that they are not asking for special treatment just the opportunity to be eligible for state aid.

The legislation, sponsored by Schaer, Johnson and Speaker Prieto, would make undocumented students who are eligible for in-state tuition also eligible for state financial aid.